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Life with Dogs

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Big Barker Orthopedic Dog Bed Review

Big Barker Orthopedic Dog Bed Review

With one senior dog, Izzy (13 years old), and two three-legged dogs, Jayne and Meatball, a flimsy dog bed just won't cut it for these three. Enter: the Big Barker dog bed. The dogs were gifted an orthopedic Big Barker dog bed to try out to see if it would help them...

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Essential First Aid & Preparedness Kit for Dogs

Essential First Aid & Preparedness Kit for Dogs

 With all the news surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt it's a good idea to put together a list of ways to be prepared for an emergency with your dog. With businesses such as pet stores and potentially animal hospitals shutting down the safety of your pet may...

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My Favorite Foods for Diabetic Dog Food Homemade Recipes

My Favorite Foods for Diabetic Dog Food Homemade Recipes

I’ve been cooking Mylah a homemade diet for about 7 years now and it’s the only way she’s been able to thrive for this long while keeping her diabetes under control. Cooking for her has literally saved her life. The focus of her diet is comprised of a few important...

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Heart Healthy Foods for Dogs

Heart Healthy Foods for Dogs

There are many foods that are heart-healthy and can be used in your dog's complete and balanced homemade diet, or added to existing commercial food diets to give your dog a boost! Below are some of my favorite heart-healthy foods to incorporate into my dog's...

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Jayne & Meatball Try NomNomNow for the First Time

Jayne & Meatball Try NomNomNow for the First Time

As an advocate for fresh food diets, I really wanted all my pups to get the benefits of a fresh food diet - including Meatball, our foster! I've known the folks at NomNomNow for awhile now, about three years. That's what has led me to develop a great deal of trust in...

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Raw Milk for Dogs: Benefits & Info

Raw Milk for Dogs: Benefits & Info

Raw Milk for Dogs🥛has a lot of benefits (listed below) but it should be noted that not all dogs can tolerate raw milk for various reasons. I see a lot of people in groups say, 'give raw goat or cow's milk for xyz issue' - while well-intentioned, raw milk isn't always...

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Testimonial: Bree’s Allergy Diet

Testimonial: Bree’s Allergy Diet

Bree is a rescue dog whose rescue group was at a loss for how to improve her issues being underweight and having allergy issues. She had gotten the Hemopet Nutriscan done but the rescue was having trouble with interpreting it and finding the right food. I was able to...

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Testimonial: Proactive Diets for Bill & Jarvis

Testimonial: Proactive Diets for Bill & Jarvis

"Bill and Jarvis are doing so great on your recipes (not to mention they absolutely LOVE the food). We had our annual wellness exam about a month ago and our vet was raving about how good their skin/fur/muscle mass/etc is! The first time I told her I was home feeding...

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Check Out My Dogly Advocate Community

Check Out My Dogly Advocate Community

I'm very excited to tell you about my new partnership with Dogly.com! Dogly has hand-picked canine experts and advocates to lead communities so you and your dog can benefit from the knowledge myself and other have built-up over time. This is a paid membership...

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Testimonial: Chuck’s Allergy Diet

Testimonial: Chuck’s Allergy Diet

"In July 2019, Chuck, an adult male beagle, was surrendered to CACC by his previous owners because they could not manage his severe allergies. With patches of fur missing and bloody scabs all over his body from scratching, I agreed to foster Chuck through Fetching...

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Testimonial: Tulip’s Diabetic Dog Diet

Testimonial: Tulip’s Diabetic Dog Diet

Tulip, female, 10 year old diabetic pug mix Tulip's owner was struggling to regulate her dog's blood sugar levels and had been making a homemade diet that was not complete and balanced. Her owner is a health conscious person and in the human nutrition field so she...

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Meet Meatball, Our Foster Dog

Meet Meatball, Our Foster Dog

Meet Meatball! He's our foster dog who has been through a lot in his short life. I met him back in March when he was first rescued after being brought in to animal control with a severely deformed front leg. After the rescue consulted with two surgeons, it was...

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Testimonial: Nero’s Diabetic Dog Diet

Testimonial: Nero’s Diabetic Dog Diet

Nero, male, 11 year old diabetic pug Nero's owner came to me after she had been struggling with regulating Nero's blood glucose levels. The diets she had tried made Nero's levels spike and she was constantly dealing with the effects of high blood glucose. The diet I...

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My Diabetic Dog is Skinny – 6 Things to Consider

My Diabetic Dog is Skinny – 6 Things to Consider

As dog mom to Mylah who was diagnosed with diabetes at 10 months old, I’ve seen her go through many stages of ups and downs throughout her life dealing with this disease. Now that she is 8 years old, she’s actually doing the best other than when she was between the ages of 2-4 years old. Mylah’s life with diabetes has been challenging from many aspects but one area I want to talk about in particular is when she was so skinny. Some days, she looked emaciated.

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7 Facts You Should Know About CBD for Dogs Before Making a Purchase

7 Facts You Should Know About CBD for Dogs Before Making a Purchase

When it comes to CBD, there is a lot of misinformation floating around the web and social media. Many promote CBD as a cure-all for dogs without acknowledging the actual scientific proof we have about how CBD works within the bodies of dogs. For example, there is no scientific study that exists right now to prove that CBD works effectively to reduce anxiety in dogs. There is a lot of anecdotal information about this but that evidence only proves that sometimes it works to lower anxiety in dogs and sometimes it doesn’t.

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Canine Bladder Health + Why It’s Important

Canine Bladder Health + Why It’s Important

This post is sponsored by Herbsmith, all opinions are my own and I only discuss products I personally use.  As many of you know, my second youngest dog, Mylah, was diagnosed with diabetes at 10 months old. She's lived with this disease for the past seven years of her...

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Pumpkin for Dog Diarrhea or Constipation?

Pumpkin for Dog Diarrhea or Constipation?

Izzy is sitting at one of my favorite places to buy local produce and of course, pumpkins! With all the love for decorative pumpkins this time of year, I thought I’d share some tips on the pumpkin we feed to our dogs. Pumpkin is classified as a Cucurbitaceae, belonging to the gourd family of flowering plants. Pumpkin contains many anti-oxidants including Vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is what gives orange veggies and fruits its color. High in fiber too, pumpkin is usually what dog parents seek out for tummy troubles.

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New Dog, New House, New Services!

New Dog, New House, New Services!

It’s been a bit since I have posted on the blog. Life changes and moves along and sometimes the focus has to be offline. Since May we’ve adopted Jayne, sold our house in the city, moved about an hour outside of the city and finally are settled in! Jeff and I always swore to each other we’d never adopt a puppy because puppies are a lot of work and all that. But sometimes a dog (or puppy) comes into your life and the connection you have with that dog is powerful

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My List of All Natural Flea/Tick & Heartworm Remedies for Dogs

My List of All Natural Flea/Tick & Heartworm Remedies for Dogs

Flea and tick season is here and it has many pet parents worried about how to tackle these pests from an all-natural standpoint. As many of you know, there is an abundance of harmful, chemical filled, and downright toxic flea/tick meds available at vet clinics and big retailers. Just doing a simple google search on deaths from flea and tick medicine is enough to never allow that stuff near my dogs again.

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DIY Veggie & Blueberry Dog Treats

DIY Veggie & Blueberry Dog Treats

These nutrient-rich veggie and blueberry treats are what I use to balance my dog’s daily raw meals. They can also be used as a treat though! A very healthy dog treat 🙂

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Global Pet Expo 2018: Recap, Flying with Izzy & More!

Global Pet Expo 2018: Recap, Flying with Izzy & More!

In March, Izzy and I traveled to Orlando, FL together to go to the Global Pet Expo! When I shared on my Instagram Stories that Izzy was at the airport with me, I got a lot of questions about how she was flying with me. Well, this is when I then shared on Instagram that Izzy is actually my

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Food Energetics for Dogs – Warm, Hot, Cold Food & Proteins

Food Energetics for Dogs – Warm, Hot, Cold Food & Proteins

There’s a simple way to look at your dog’s food – through Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) food energetics. Food energetics are used to look at how food affects our bodies from a neutral, cool and warm standpoint. So instead of evaluating foods based on protein, calories, and carbs like Western culture does, TCM looks at vitamin and mineral content in addition to the sensations foods have on our bodies. For dogs suffering from allergies – warm and hot foods must be avoided. When you look at your dog’s behavior and then pair it with TCM food energetics I bet you might see some ways you can improve your dog’s diet.

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How to Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones

How to Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones

Feeding your dog bone as part of a raw diet can be intimidating and flat out nerve-wracking, especially for first-timer raw feeders. When you feed a dog a raw diet of ground meat and bones that can take away from the scary aspects of things going wrong like choking. However, raw meaty bones are great for dogs to enjoy for a few reasons.

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Sardines & Oily Fish for Dogs

Sardines & Oily Fish for Dogs

There are so many health benefits your dog receives when you feed him/her sardines or other oily fish like herring or mackerel. The #1 benefit is that your dog is receiving a natural source of rich omega 3 fish oils – you are literally feeding the source of the fish oil. I stopped feeding fish oil to my raw fed dogs Izzy and Hudson

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5 Ways to Make Your Dog Healthier & Live Longer

5 Ways to Make Your Dog Healthier & Live Longer

We all want our dogs to receive the best care so they can live forever right? Well, some of that care starts at home and you can incorporate into your dog’s daily lives! I’ve put together a free series of email tips to get you and your dog on the right path.

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Choosing the Best Raw Food to Feed Your Dog

Choosing the Best Raw Food to Feed Your Dog

When I first started feeding my dogs raw food I was overwhelmed and somewhat confused. That was over five years ago. I have learned a ton and made it a priority to educate myself to benefit my dogs and so I could teach other dog parents about feeding raw food. And the raw feeding learning curve doesn’t happen overnight. There is a transition for dogs and humans that must take place.

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DIY Holiday Backdrop

DIY Holiday Backdrop

As the holidays approach, you may be starting to think about this year’s holiday card. Now you can take pro-quality pet pictures to use for special pet photo holiday cards with this DIY holiday backdrop! Creating your own holiday backdrop is an inexpensive and convenient option. You can choose colored fabrics that match your holiday décor and holiday picture outfits, and it will make your holiday posts on social media picture perfect. Your friends will think you and your pets went somewhere for professional holiday pet photos with this stylish backdrop!

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Turkey Neck Bone Broth for Dogs

Turkey Neck Bone Broth for Dogs

I LOVE feeding my dogs bone broth because it is so easy to pop the ingredients in the crockpot and then 24-48 hours later I have healthy, immune boosting broth to feed alongside their regular meals. I try to make bone broth for them each week using different...

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Easy DIY Dog Halloween Costume – Stinky Skunks!

Easy DIY Dog Halloween Costume – Stinky Skunks!

Happy Halloween! This is the perfect last minute Halloween costume that is SO easy to make for your dog. Not going to lie, I had the intention of making them skeletons this year but then so much blog work caught up with me and I decided adorable stinky skunks was not…

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Vitamin B12 Injections for Dogs

Vitamin B12 Injections for Dogs

B12 for dogs can be lifesaving if your dog has malabsorption issues and therefore is unable to absorb the nutrients you are feeding to him/her. Dogs suffering from malabsorption typically have an underlying issue like exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and/or…

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Plantain Oil for Dogs: Bug Bite Treatment

Plantain Oil for Dogs: Bug Bite Treatment

Plantain is a such a fun and useful natural option for bug bites and stings that your dog (or even you!) might encounter. You can have plantain oil on hand like I do, or use straight plantain leaf from the ground. The plant itself is all over and can be found in almost any climate.

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Ear & Skin Compress Home Remedy for Itchy Dogs

Ear & Skin Compress Home Remedy for Itchy Dogs

This is a super easy remedy to help your dog if he/she has seasonal allergies or irritations on the ear or skin. I use this tea bag compress a lot on my dogs because both green and peppermint tea have great soothing and anti-inflammatory properties to help the skin. I made a video with all the info you need and instructions on how to do the compress.

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Sweet Potato Birthday Cake for Dogs

Sweet Potato Birthday Cake for Dogs

Every year I try to host a dog birthday party around the time of Izzy’s birthday so we can celebrate all the dog’s birthdays! Since Hudson and Mylah’s birthdays are in the fall/winter we can’t really be outside that much with all the dogs. It is much easier to throw one big dog birthday party with their dog friends in our backyard.

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DIY Outdoor Dog Bed Lounger

DIY Outdoor Dog Bed Lounger

I decided to go to work on a DIY outdoor dog lounge. You can customize this to look how you want it to fit your yard aesthetic. So far my dogs, especially Hudson, have loved this giant diy outdoor raised dog bed! I outline the steps below!

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NomNomNow Review After Two Weeks of Feeding to Hudson

NomNomNow Review After Two Weeks of Feeding to Hudson

I told you about NomNomNow a few weeks ago and wanted to write a follow-up blog post about how Hudson’s experience eating NomNomNow has been. There are five major benefits I’ve seen in Hudson after being fully transitioned to NomNomNow’s Chicken Chow Wow.

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DIY Soothing Wound Cream for Dogs

DIY Soothing Wound Cream for Dogs

If your dog has a wound, burn or scrape this healing cream can soothe and heal skin scrapes and injuries. It is so easy to make and each of the ingredients are ones I highly recommend having on hand in your house for other uses for your dogs.

Mix the following together in a container that can be sealed and keep in the refrigerator for freshness. This can last a few months.

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Dog Paw Soak for an Itchy, Irritated or Cut Paw

Dog Paw Soak for an Itchy, Irritated or Cut Paw

I use this paw soak anytime one of my dogs has an irritated, itchy, inflamed paw or a cut paw pad. It is super simple and you only need two things: warm water and betadine. You can purchase betadine at any local grocery store or pharmacy. This is a great remedy for dogs who have a paw yeast infection or if your dog is chewing their paw because of allergies. I explain how I do the soak and the benefits in a quick video, check it out below!

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Portable Bathing with BISSELL | BarkBath Review

Portable Bathing with BISSELL | BarkBath Review

You know we are usually outside or at the lake, most days during the summer and the dogs are constantly swimming or getting messy in the yard. With big dogs, it’s tough to give them a bath inside and dry them – it’s always a mess. My husband and I either give them a bath with the hose, which isn’t ideal because you can’t control the temperature and it’s too much water flow and we end up with soap suds all over.

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Homemade Bone Broth Popsicles for Dogs

Homemade Bone Broth Popsicles for Dogs

I love making my dogs homemade bone broth because it is so incredibly healthy for them and they love it. They would probably like to drink it with every meal. The nutrients and enzymes from homemade bone broth are so healthy and you just don't get the same amount of...

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DIY Anti-Itch Spray for Dogs

DIY Anti-Itch Spray for Dogs

If your dog suffers from itchy skin or skin allergies like my dog Hudson does, then this topical spray can definitely help! It has a few simple ingredients that soothe skin while disinfecting it and calming any inflammation down. What you'll need: 8oz spray bottle 1/2...

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Izzy’s Chicago Street Fest Guide: Pride Fest

Izzy’s Chicago Street Fest Guide: Pride Fest

Last weekend we went to Pride Fest with Izzy and not only did she have a blast but she got a ton of attention! Everyone loved seeing her strut around with her pride beads on. This was a HOT Chicago day so we brought and bought extra water to douse her with and made...

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CBD for Anxious Dogs: Treatibles Review

CBD for Anxious Dogs: Treatibles Review

I've been meaning to learn more about using CBD for dogs (short for Cannabidiol), an all natural, non-psychoactive concentrate extracted from hemp. And no, this is not marijuana. I got the opportunity to dive into understanding CBD for dogs thanks to the company,...

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IZZY’S CHICAGO STREET FEST GUIDE: Rib Fest

IZZY’S CHICAGO STREET FEST GUIDE: Rib Fest

Izzy is on a mission to explore the dog friendly street fests of Chicago! We are planning to attend one every weekend and review the street fest so other dog parents know what to expect each year. Let us know if you have any recommendations in the comments below!...

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7 Must Have Essential Oils for Dogs During Summer

7 Must Have Essential Oils for Dogs During Summer

There are endless benefits to using essential oils for yourself and your dogs! Here's a roundup of my favorite essential oils to use on the dogs during the summer and why. I recommend using Young Living, Doterra or NOW Essential Oils (affiliate link)....

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